HOMELESS NEED HELP, NOT BLANKET ‘RIGHTS’

The “Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights and Fairness Act” that cleared the state Assembly Judiciary Committee earlier this week was watered down from the original AB 5 proposed by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco. But even though several of the more objectionable elements have been taken out — such as a widely lambasted provision giving the homeless “the right to engage in life-sustaining activities,” including urinating in public — we still oppose this latest attempt by Sacramento to micromanage local governments.

The bill still would take away cities’ rights to deal with the homeless on their own terms, including preventing the enforcement of laws against “resting in a public place” unless specific requirements are met. The bill also would let the homeless sleep in cars and “solicit donations,” aka panhandle.

The underlying premise of the bill is wrong as well. It encourages behavior that is neither desirable nor healthy. We support shelters, soup kitchens and other forms of public assistance. But we don’t believe in ceding our streets to the homeless. San Francisco, Ammiano’s home, is hardly an inspiration; the city has taken a hands-off approach to the homeless and is now grappling with higher crime, makeshift homeless encampments on public sidewalks and aggressive panhandlers.